It’s not much, but if I don’t force myself to write, I might never get
around to it. =)

She glanced at the clock impatiently, trying to ignore the giggles and
peals of laughter that erupted from the classrooms next to K-1B. 8:35.
Where were her kids? By this time, Annie would be gazing out the
window, daydreaming of castles and princes. Mike’d be fidgeting at the
back, unable to keep still. Laurie would be dutifully working on the
exercise for the day. She wrung her hands. Where were they?
Kindergarten students were almost never late. The school bus service
dropped them off at 8:15 everyday. One or two might be truant, but an
entire class?

She surveyed the empty chairs with growing concern. Locking the
classroom door behind her, she hurried to the principal’s office. “My
students—”, she began, but the look of horror on the principal’s face
robbed her of breath. She turned to the television set that transfixed
him and her world blew away with the smoke billowing from the
yellow crushed metal that once protected her angels.